Main menu

Russia is telling nations to rein in terrorist groups in Syria: Afrin and Eastern Ghouta

Russia is telling nations to rein in terrorist groups in Syria: Afrin and Eastern Ghouta

Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The Russian Federation is alarmed by the manipulation of events in Eastern Ghouta, Syria. This is based on the usual Western nations backing feudal Gulf kingdoms that support an array of Sunni Islamist and Takfiri terrorist forces in Syria. Hence, the Gulf and Western mass media are once more playing down the reality of al-Qaeda linked terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta and an array of various groups that follow the same Takfiri mindset.

Equally, it is known that hostile media groups who support the Sunni Islamist terrorist and Takfiri narrative, are cherry-picking images in order to manipulate events on the ground. In truth, these same sectarian terrorist groups are intent on cleansing Alawites, Christians, the Shia, and Sunni Muslims who support the central government from their areas, in order to create Sharia Sunni Islamist areas of Syria.

The Syrian Arab News Agency reports, “Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari stressed that endangering the lives of 8 million civilians in Damascus in order to protect terrorists in Eastern Ghouta is (an) unacceptable act.”

Kurds in Afrin

Ironically, the same media groups are downplaying the reality of what the Kurds face in Northern Syria – and mass persecution against this ethnic group in Turkey – at the hands of Turkey. Equally disturbing, Turkey is utilizing Sunni Islamist and Takfiri sectarian groups in their attack against the Kurds in the environment of Afrin. However, NATO powers, feudal Gulf nations involved in brutal intrigues in Syria and Yemen, and the United Nations (UN) aren’t calling for resolutions against the invading armed forces of Turkey that is even targeting humanitarian aid convoys in the environment of Afrin.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism reports, “Moreover, even mainstream Islamic institutions have not condemned the continuous attacks on Kurds by Erdogan’s regime. The silence of Egypt’s Al Azhar Institute, considered the most prominent Sunni academic center, remains baffling because it normally condemns any form of aggression against Muslims worldwide and calls for United Nations intervention in cases like the Bosnian war and the Rohyingya crisis. In contrast, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a clear condemnation of operation “Olive Branch” as “a fresh attack on Syrian sovereignty.” The condemnation stands alone among nations so far. The U.S. State Department has urged Turkey to limit its incursion and minimize civilian casualties.”

Hence, the ongoing brutal attack against the Kurds in Afrin, reports The Independent, is “… led by the FSA, which is a largely defunct umbrella grouping of non-Jihadi Syrian rebels once backed by the West. Now, most of its fighters taking part in Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” were, until recently, members of Isis.”

Russian Federation

Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, implied that certain nations seek to spare sectarian terrorist groups including Jabhat al-Nusra. Lavrov said, “The problem is that in Idleb and in Eastern Ghouta, Jabhat al-Nusra, declared a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council, runs the show. Subsequent efforts to organize large-scale evacuation of civilians from that area encountered Jabhat al-Nusra’s refusal as it seeks to keep these people as human shields.”

Dmitry Peskov, the Russian Federation Presidential Spokesperson, said, “Those responsible for the situation in East Ghouta are those who support the terrorists, those that are still there. As you know, neither Russia, nor Syria, nor Iran belong to the category of such states, for it is they who on the ground are engaged in an irreconcilable struggle against the terrorists in Syria.”

Overall, the usual NATO and Gulf powers – aligned with a compliant Gulf and Western media machine – is using a very different nuance in relation to Afrin and Eastern Ghouta. Indeed, just like the Al Azhar Institute, it seems that Sunni Islamist sectarian terrorist areas are of importance to the NATO and Gulf narrative, thereby, rendering the Kurds in an inferior light. Hence, issues raised at the UN are whitewashing Afrin, while crying wolf over areas held by al-Qaeda affiliates and other sectarian terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta.